1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an embroidery data processor for preparing embroidery sewing data used by a sewing machine to sew a predetermined embroidery pattern in a workpiece cloth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some home-use sewing machines are able to sew embroidery patterns in a workpiece cloth based on prestored embroidery data. However, consumer desire for more versatile and fancy sewing machines and also improvements in performance of embroidery sewing machines have lead to the development of comparatively inexpensive and easy to use embroidery processors that are capable of sewing embroidery patterns designed by a user in addition to prestored embroidery patterns.
There are known embroidery data processors capable of automatically preparing embroidery data having a plurality of different colors. These automatic processors save a great amount of time and effort compared to manual preparation of stitch data. In one such embroidery data processor, a user draws an original picture on which a color embroidery pattern is to be based. The user then draws each different colored region of the picture separately on separate sheets. The different sheets are then scanned one at a time to input all different colored regions of the picture.
Here, an example will be given for using this type of processor to prepare data for a leaf pattern shown in FIGS. 18, 19, and 20. In this example, the outline is to be sewn in a narrow satin stitch or in a running stitch and the bounded region is to be sewn using tatami stitch. First, the user draws the outline drawing shown in FIG. 18 and scans it to produce data for the outline. Then the user prepares the drawing shown in FIG. 19 with the bounded region completely colored in and scans the drawing to produce data for the bounded region. Under ideal circumstances, data can be prepared for sewing the leaf with no gaps between the outline and the bounded region as shown in FIG. 20.
However, because data for the outline and for the bounded region are retrieved by scanning two different pictures, i.e., the pictures shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, there is a potential that the pictures can deviate from each other. Even if a user carefully traces an original pattern to obtain a sheet with one outline fairly faithful to that of the original picture, drawn lines will normally have a non-uniform width. The variation in width is sufficient to produce positional shifts in the traced outline from the original pattern so that the resultant data will be different. Even when the two different pictures do not deviate from each other, deviation can occur during the separate scanning operations for each picture so that the resultant data will be different. Deviations like these can result in different colored regions undesirably overlapping each other or the bordering outlines. Producing data without deviations, so that embroidery can be sewn with no gaps between outlines and bounded regions, is surprisingly troublesome and time consuming and requires an operator with exceptional skill to perform.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,589 describes another type of embroidery data processor wherein a user draws an original picture first as an outline on a single sheet of paper and scans the sheet to input data for the outlines. Then, the user fills in a particular portion with a particular color and scans the sheet again. The user fills in different colored regions and scans the same sheet each time until all different colored regions have been colored in and scanned. The user need not fill in the colored regions completely, but only to a certain amount to enable the processor to recognize the indicated region.
The embroidery data processor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,589 can produce embroidery data for sewing embroidery from a single sheet drawn with the desired picture in outline form. Therefore, there is no need to draw a separate sheet for each different colored portion of the desired picture. Further, since the same drawing on a single sheet is used to indicate all different colored regions, gaps will not appear between outlines and bounded regions as a result of positional deviation between sheets.